New Year marks a time to look forward to new goals so it seems a fitting time to dedicate this issue to looking “Beyond Boundaries”.

What do we mean when we ask businesses to work ‘Beyond Boundaries’? The main objective is to convince business to address biodiversity and related issues beyond their traditional operational fences or their traditional sphere of influence. This can be manifested by a company taking a landscape approach at all their sites or landholdings especially when located close to protected areas or Key Biodiversity Areas; or by spreading initiatives or concepts that worked well for one company to a whole sector or a full value chain.

At Business Week 2013 we asked ourselves the question, “what does transformational change actually mean?” In November 2013, with the IUCN Council’s Private Sector Task Force, we were able to clarify this ambition by describing four tiers of changes which will be added to the existing IUCN Business Engagement Strategy. This way we can recognize that big transformational changes often start with small incremental steps. It also allows for transitional changes to happen, allowing processes to be established whilst the actions on the ground start to deliver substantial positive outcomes on biodiversity which is IUCN’s ultimate ambition. Together with our new and existing business collaborations we will articulate this journey towards transformational change. With this understanding we can jointly push for the required enabling framework that will allow business to systemically deliver a positive outcome on biodiversity.

This issue features news from projects at all stages of that journey, each striving to achieve the systemic changes to deliver a long lasting positive impact within and beyond boundaries.

Exploring Beyond Boundaries

Going Beyond the Fence in the Cerrado biome

Establishing a collaborative platform for information exchange and capacity building between business, government, and civil society organisations can strengthen their ongoing actions within specific landscapes to address water scarcity and other natural resource issues in the Cerrado biome. This was the main outcome of a recent workshop hosted by Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPE - NGO Member), IUCN, and business partner Nespresso, held in the city of Uberlandia, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil…

Celebrating 16 years working together for water and wetlands: the Danone Group, Evian and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

The Ramsar Convention was the first international convention to promote the engagement of the business sector directly in the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The first partnership agreement, signed on 27 January 1998, resulted in the creation of the “Danone – Evian Fund for Water” for the protection of wetlands ...

IUCN and Holcim: Celebrating seven years of Biodiversity Management

Over the last 7 years IUCN and Holcim have been working together to integrate biodiversity considerations into Holcim policies and practices. In 2014, a number of tools will be launched to scale up improved biodiversity management within the wider building materials sector and to help build a policy environment which supports company actions...

Keeping whales safe in sound

IUCN and Shell jointly address conservation challenges

IUCN and Shell have agreed to work together to address key conservation challenges, focusing on rehabilitating marshlands in Iraq, decommissioning North Sea oil infrastructure in a way that preserves biodiversity and reviewing oil spill remediation in the Niger Delta…Read More

CEMEX presents 'Water Policy' for global water management

As part of a partnership with IUCN, CEMEX have introduced a Corporate Water Policy that defines its global strategy for responsible water management.The policy recognizes the important role that the building materials industry plays in the sustainable management of water…Read More

IUCN welcomes first global non-profit business organization into its membership

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has become the first worldwide not-for-profit business organization to be granted official membership status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the world’s oldest and largest environmental organization...Read More

RWE and IUCN to work on lignite mining restoration in the context of broader biodiversity management

RWE is one of the top European energy companies. IUCN has established a working relationship to further integrate biodiversity values into RWE policies and practices. A first joint project will be carried out in 2014. This project will provide a basis to understand how the RWE Group currently addresses restoration of lignite open cast mines and provides, and opportunities available to better protect local biodiversity...

World Congress on Agroforestry

TREES FOR LIFE: ACCELERATING THE IMPACTS OF AGROFORESTRY
The 3rd World Congress on Agroforestry, co-hosted by the World Agroforestry Centre and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, will shape the next steps in the field of integrative science, transformative change in landscapes, tree improvement, innovative tree-based value chains, debates on global and local sustainability, reform of land and tree tenure and holistic education.10th-14th February 2014, Delhi, IndiaMore Information

Event Preview

First Global Conference on UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy

The inaugural conference on the UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) will provide an opportunity to review the progress on implementing the Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, as well as a chance to consider how greener economies can contribute to the emerging post-2015 development agenda and new global architecture for sustainability.

International Forum on Payments for Environmental Services of Tropical Forests

This forum, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in collaboration with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the National Forest Financing Fund of Costa Rica, will highlight the benefits from payments for ecosystem services (PES) as well as build capacity for the development and implementation of PES in tropical countries, with a view to supporting sustainable forest management (SFM).

5th AEBIOM European Bioenergy Conference

The AEBIOM Bioenergy Conference organized by the European Biomass Association is the fifth edition of the growing series and has quickly become Europe´s major occasion for discussion and networking amongst important industry leaders and policy makers. Bioenergy is the largest renewable energy source in Europe and we expect around 300 industry representatives to be present at this event which is one of the leading bioenergy conferences in Europe.12th–14th May 2014, Brussels, BelgiumMore Information

B4E Climate Summit 2014

B4E, the Business for Environment Global Summit, is the world's leading international conference for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment. The summit addresses the most urgent environmental challenges facing the world today. Important topics on the agenda include resource efficiency, renewable energies, new business models and climate policy and strategies. 27-28 May 2014, London, United Kingdom

2014 IUCN World Parks Congress

The IUCN World Parks Congress 2014 is a landmark global forum on protected areas. Building on the theme "Parks, people, planet: inspiring solutions", it will present, discuss and create original approaches for conservation and development, helping to address the gap in the conservation and sustainable development agenda. The calls for roles and content are now open so if you would like to get involved find out more here

UNEP-WCMC's A-Z of biodiversity terms

UNEP-WCMC has recently produced ‘the A-Z of biodiversity terms’ with support from the Proteus Partnership, IPIECA, OGP and ICCM. This is an online resource to support greater consistency in the use of terms and definitions related to biodiversity. It aims at providing clarity for practitioners implementing biodiversity management, particularly those doing so in the context of global conventions, standards, regulations, policies and legislation.

State of Watershed Payments 2012: Executive Summary for Business

This Executive Summary for Business builds upon data and analysis from Charting New Waters: State of Watershed Payments 2012. In Charting New Waters, Ecosystem Marktplace tracks the size, scope, and outlook for investments in watershed services and in the ecological infrastructure from which they flow, focusing on transactions between investors and watershed service providers.

Green game-changers: Insights for mainstreaming business innovation

WWF and Verdantix produced a new report which follows on from 2012’s Green Game-Changers report, which looked at the adoption of innovative sustainable business models by large companies. This report highlights the actions that large firms have taken to transform their business models towards sustainability.

GLOBE International: Natural Capital Legislation News

IUCN helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice.